4:23
by coffeechick87
Summary: Just a moment in time on one winter morning. A MotherDaughter fic with a dash of LukeLorelai. [1 parter]


Hey all... I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing. Writers block is so not fun. It's just a small ficlet that came into my mind as I was watching it snow. I think it's cute, I hope you do, too.

This fic is dedicated to my pal, **Didi **(Siaram). It's sort of a belated birthday gift, but not really. The real gift is something else, and it's not quite done yet. Sorry, hun. But (I _am_ working on it, D. Never fear. ;))

It's un-beta'd. Just a warning.

I hope you enjoy.

-Jayde

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**4:23**

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"Lorelai?"

"Lorelai."

"Lorelai, wake up."

"Mmph."

Luke sighed, and gently shook the sleeping woman beside him. Again. "Lorelai, Rory's on the phone."

"Huh?" Lorelai lifted her head a fraction, and slowly blinked.

"Rory's on the phone, she wants to talk to you."

Opening her eyes fully, she looked over at the clock resting on Luke's bedside table. 4:23. "It's not even four thirty in the morning."

Luke shrugged, and handed the phone to her.

"Rory? Hun, is there something wrong?" Lorelai spoke hurriedly, not finding any other reason why her daughter would be calling her at such an insanely early hour. She frowned as she sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest.

"No, Mom. Nothing's wrong."

"Then why—"

"Look outside."

"Rory..."

"Mom..." Rory returned playfully, "Go to the window that looks over the gazebo and look outside."

Grumbling, Lorelai got out of the nice warm bed, and shook her head at Luke, who was about to do the same. Seeing him settle back into the covers, she grabbed the flannel shirt that had been tossed at the end of the bed, and put it on.

Slowly walking towards the window, she brought the phone back to her ear, "Now, what am I supposed to be looking for?"

"You'll know when you see it, Mom."

Reaching the window, she pushed back the curtains, and gasped.

The town was covered in snow, and the flakes that were still softly falling glinted in the eerie light that was cast by Christmas lights, and the streetlamps. Sighing, Lorelai leaned onto the edge of the window.

"It's so pretty."

"Yeah, it is." Rory replied, "Look down."

Frowning, Lorelai complied, and then grinned at the sight of her daughter standing in the light of a streetlamp in front of the diner, her cell phone at her ear. Rory waved.

Lorelai waved back, "Hi. I'll be right there." She disconnected, and tossed the phone to Luke, who was sitting on the bed, looking at her.

"What's going on?"

Grinning, she looked for her pants, "It's snowing."

"Oh." He frowned, still confused. Watching Lorelai put her pants on, and then her shoes, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Outside." She paused as she was grabbing her coat, "Can you put on some coffee? Thanks." Blowing a kiss at him, Lorelai opened the door and walked out into the hall, almost falling down the stairs as she put her coat on.

Walking through the empty and dark diner, she smiled and waved as she saw Rory waiting outside at the door.

"Hi Hun!" Lorelai smiled and hugged her daughter after she'd unlocked and opened the door, feeling it close behind her.

Hugging back, Rory smiled. "Hey." As she pulled away, she rubbed her gloved hands together, "I didn't want to miss the first snow this year. I went home, but well, obviously, you weren't there. So I called Luke's. I'm sorry if it's too early."

"One cannot tell the snow that it's too early, so now is perfect. I'm so glad you're here." She grinned at her daughter and noticed that her cheeks and the tip of her nose were already pink, "Did you walk?"

"Yeah, I thought it was too pretty out to drive from the house, come on." Rory grabbed her mother's hand, and pulled her across the road, ignoring the signal at the lone streetlight.

Reaching the gazebo, Lorelai stopped as her daughter started to ascend the steps. Smiling, she took the gloves from her pockets, putting them on as she bent down. She scooped the layer of snow off of the ground, quickly shaping it into a lopsided ball. Stepping behind a bush, she grinned devilishly and threw it at her daughter's back.

"Oh!" Rory turned around quickly, the look of surprise on her face quickly turning mischievous. She rushed down the opposite stairs so the gazebo was between them.

Gathering her own arsenal of snowballs, she almost didn't hear the tell-tale crunching of snow behind her. She spun around, a snowball in hand and hurriedly threw it at her mother, who had been trying to sneak up.

Lorelai laughed as she held her hands to stop the snowball flying at her while trying to launch her own. Tossing it at her daughter she ran back to the other side of the gazebo, and started to mound her own snowballs together.

It was just like old times.

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Standing in the dark diner, Luke went about making coffee, and preparing the breakfast that he knew that Lorelai and Rory would want when they came in. Looking out the window he watched the mother and daughter play like children in the falling snow.

And he smiled.

**END**

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Please review, I'd love to know what everyone thinks.

Thanks for reading.

-J.


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